Reducing gear and transmission control



June 21, 1927. v 1,633,052

J. S. WATTS manucme GEAR AND 'rmmsmssxou CONTROL Filed Jan.18. 1926 s Sheets-Sheet 1 A e V Z/ mm WHY 6% w m 1% W ATT EHEY W E F i June 21, 1927.

J. ,5. WATTS I amnucme cam m mmsmssron CONTROL 3 Sheets-Sheet. 3

Filed 31111.18. i926 k n v Arroewgv Patented June 21, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT orr ca Application filed January 18, 1926. Serial No. 81,979.

This invention relates particularly to means pendently movable primary main gears, as 50 for the transmission of power or motion, hereinafter described. and it is an especial object of this invention Fig. 8 isa cross sectional view, taken subto provide very compact and simple means stantially as indicated by the line 1010 for producing a comparatively high reducofFig. 2, but with parts omitted or broken ing (or multiplying) effect. away. 55v

It is an object of this invention to pro- Fig. 4 is a detail view, taken substantially vide reducing gear trains adapted to be inas indicated by the arrow 11 of Fig. 8. terposed between a drive shaft and a driven Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of an em shaft coaxial therewith, such reducing trains bodiment comparable with that shown in being adapted to be secured within prac- Figs. 2-4, inclusive, as hereinafter described, 6 tically cylindrical housings, exceptionally but specialized for a reversing effect, rugged, capable of easy and reliable lubri- Referring to the details of that specific cation, and so constructed as to facilitate acembodiment of my invention illustrated in cess to moving parts, for purposes of repair Fig. 1, 11 being referred to as a drive shaft,

' or replacement. 12 is a driven shaft,'shown as'disposed co- 65 It is a further object of my invention to axially therewith and integrally or other provide, in reducing transmissions of the wise rigidly connected, as by a disc 13, with general character referred to, means equiv-a a movable main gear 14. The shaft 11 is lent not only to a gear shifting organization, shown as carrying not only a pairof clutch suitable to effect variations in the relative elements 15 and 16, rigidly secured thereon 70 speed of a driven shaft, but also means perand suitably spaced apart (the inner end of mitting an actual reversal in the direction of the shaft 11 being shown as provided at 17, rotation of said driven shaft. with a bearing in a central boss 18 upon the Other objects of my invention, including mentioned plate 13) but also a sleeve 19,

alternative means for producing the menterminating in clutch faces 20 and 21 and 75 tioned variations in speed or the mentioned carrying, at or near the inner end thereof, a reversing effect, may be best appreciated small pinion 22.

from the following description of alterna- In the position in which it is illustrated in tive embodiments of my invention, taken in Fig. 1, the pinion 22 engages a comparaconnection with the appended claim and the tively long interior gear 23, eccentrically so accompanying drawings, in which disposed with reference to the mentioned Fig. 1 may be referred to as a longitudinal parts hereinafter referred to as a travelling section through an embodiment of my invendouble gear, or as a composite gear, which tion in which two different speeds may be is in constant mesh not only with the menobtained by the shifting of aclutch sleeve tioned movable main gear 14 but with a 85 which is longitudinally movable upon a drive fixed or primary main gear 24,which may shaft and which carries at its inner end, a be secured (as by means of screws 26) suitable pinion, this view being shown for within a substantially cylindrical element introductory purposes of general description 27, comprised in a housing. This housing but not specifically claimed in the present apmay include also end elements 28 and 29, 90 plication (being claimed in my copending shown as respectively provided with bearapplication, Serial No. 102,937, filed April ing extensions 30, and for the mentioned 19, 1926). shafts 11 and 12. I 4 Fig. 2 is a view, taken similarly to Fig. 1 I The interior composite gear 23 is shown as illustrating an embodiment of my invention carried by a pin 31, extending through oppo- 9 in which provision is made for a speedsite end plates'32 and 33 of a substantially changing effect by merely holding stationcylindrical internal block 34, the end plateary, at will, any one of a plurality of indie 38 being shown as having, at 35, a bearing upon the mentioned boss 18, integral with the driven shaft 12. The opposite end plate 32 is provided with internal teeth 36 alternatively engageable by the pinion 22 on the sleeve 19, whenever the latter is so shifted as toefl'ect a disengagement of the clutch face 21 from the constantly rotating clutch element 16, and an engagement betweenthe clutch face and the alternative clutch element 15. Lubricationrnay be effected in any suitable manner, as by the introduction of a preferred oil or grease through a plugged opening 37 and/or by internal ducts 38 and it will be recognized that whether the pin 31 is keyed, as at 39, to the block 34. or is permitted to rotate therein, and although the sleeve'19 maybe shifted through an intermediate osition in which no motion is transmitted tirough it whenever said sleeve oc- Fig.2}, assuming the primarymain cupies that position in which it is shown in ear 24 held stationary and assuming, hy Way of example, that the travelling double gear 23 has the same diameter as the longitudinallymovable pinion 22, each rotation of the pinion 22 will cause not only an opposite rotation but a corres onding travel of the double gear 23,- whic may, in fact, be regarded as comprising separate gears or pinions 23 and 23", engaging respectively the fixed or primary main ear 24 andthe movable main gear 14. Tius, depending upon the diameters and tooth ratios, the pin 31 may be bodily advanced in a direction correspondinglo the rotation of the inion 22 an at a rate such as (in the emb v iment illustrated) one rotation of the pin 31 to four revolutions of said pinion, \Vhenever, on

the other hand, the pinion 22 is retracted (as bymeans of a. fork, not shown, entering a. groove 40, near the exposed end of the sleeve 19) into a direct interfitting engagement with .teeth 36 integral. with the block 32, it will be obvious that said block and with it the pin 51, must rotate in the same direction with, and atthe same rate as the pinion. 22,.-

that .isat the same rate asthe drive shaft 11 Referring further to the, embodiment pf my invention illustrated in Fig. 1, it will be seen that a positioning of the pinion 22 in enga ement with the teeth may cause a speed reduction of (say) 25 to whereas a shiftin v of the pinion-22 to the position in which it is illustrated may produceaspeed resume (say) four times as g reah orfto 1'00 1 but obviously I may provide my rela tivolymovable main gears either vithfewe teeth or with more teeth V .gears,.-thelatter arran ng efiec: tive to cause, iffth 'bedsheiit, mean .eories p ncuag a); pinio 22 or Fig. 1 areas U are be reverved i the arae at; r i a b e isisowj are, (if. t movable main gear in the same direction as said shaft and pinion. Thus, if the primary main gear 24 had 26 teeth, and the second or movable gear 14 had 25 teeth, although the speed reduction may still be in the ratio of 25 to 1,'the direction of rotation of the driven shaft l 2 would becomeopposite to that indicated stove. y

In Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5, I show forms of my invention in which speed-changing and/or reversing efie'cts are obtained in an especirsi nle a d. reliable. mannerof reddetion efieered' by organizations embodying my invention being obviously dependent upon, inter alia, the number of teeth in afixed or primarymain gear, as compared with the number of teeth in a secon airy main movable gear connected with a driven shaft,.I show, in the figuresla'stlreferred to, an embodiment of my inventionin which any one of plurality ofprimaryinain gears, disposed in parallel and concentric relationship, may alternatively be held stationary, [while additionallike gears are permitted'idly to rotate; and the ratio of speed reduction (or multiplication) and/or a'reversing effect is, in this embodiment of my invention accordingl dependent upon the selection of a particu ar primary main gear to be held stationar. A

connected with a blocko-rcage B43, a pin 31", extending through end lates 32. and 33 of The ratio.

The drive shaft 11 is shown as rigidly the block or cage 34, being integral not only with terniinal gears 23f' and 23" butwith one or more intermediate gears 45 and 46; The driven shaft 12 is rigidly connected, as

bymeans of a disc or plate 10 housing member 27 This housing is shown aseomplejted by end elements '28 and'29 respectively comprising bearing extensions 30 and 31",-to which luhricant may dolivered in any desired manner, oi ehannel or ducts 38 i order t9 hold any one the: primary main 'ear' rings 28f, 47 or 48" stations-ivy, I may employ means such as a post, 51 and as provided at one end with a handle 52 andattits Oppositeefidjwith g e with a movable ring gear 14, constantly engaged by the and 48",.

as by means holding element, may be integral with an expansion 55, to PIOVIdB a bearmgsurface against the lever 50*; and it may be so retained (by means such as a cotter 56 or the like, shown as engaging a washer 57 as to permit it to slide within a longitudinal slot 58 in the lever 50 and the respective ring gears mentioned may be not only provided with a series of peripheral slots 59*, adapted to be alternatively engaged by the pin 53, but so reduced (as by cutting the same away at 60 as to make sure that the pin 53*, or its equivalent, shall never engage a plurality of said ring gears at the same instant.

Depending upon gear ratios, it will be obvious that I may so shift the described gears as to get widely different speed reductions,such as, for example, a 50 to 1, or a to 1, or a 200 to 1, reduction; and it will be appreciated that, although I show only three primary ring gears as alternatively engageable by the finger 53, any suitable greater or less number of primary main gears may be arranged either to be held by a single finger, or the like, or by one of a plurality of fingers alternatively or sequentially manipulable; and I especially emphasize the fact that the gear ratios employed may be such as to render the manipulation of the mentioned finger or fingers productive of a reversing effect.

Letting the letter a stand for the number of teeth in a primary main gear, such as those to which the characters 24 and 24 have been above applied, 12 standing for the number of teeth in a small gear or pinion (such as 23 or 23*) in mesh therewith, 0 standing for the number of teeth in a second main gear such as the rotatable gear 14, or 14, and letting cl represent the number of teeth in any small pinion or gear (23" etc.) rigidly connected with 23', etc. the ratios in angular velocity or R. P. M. between shafts such as drive shaft 11 or 11 and driven shaft 12 or 12 may, in all forms of my invention, be found from the following general formula:

Ratio= 1 tions.

It will be appreciated that, for high reduction ratios, the above parenthetical quantity requires to be made to differ but little from unity,as exemplified by the following:

201 150 603 1 -(rs1 m) (6tz)* m and it will also be obvious, that in point of fact, the principles of my invention are applicab-le not onlyto reducing gear (as by the indicated application of power to shaft 11, etc.) but to multiplying gear,as by applying power to the shaft 12, etc. and utilizing the consequent rotation of shafts 11 etc. in the performance of work; but I draw especial attention to the fact that I may use two alternatively detainable ring gears to produce not only identical ratios of reduction (or multiplication) but opposite rotative efiects upon a driven shaft,and the two ring gears referred to need differ from one another only to the extent of two teeth, assuming the two ends or pinions comparable to 23 and 23 to be alike or to be provided with the same number of teeth. For example, assuming the longitudinal composite gear 23 of Fig. 5 to comprise a gear or pinion 23" having m teeth and to be not in engagement with a movable ring gear 1 1 having 100 teeth but integral with gears or pinions 45* and 46, having the same number of teeth as the pinion 23, if these gears or pinions 45 and 4:6 (being in constant mesh with ring gears 17 and 18 which are alternatively engageable by the finger or other detaining member 5??) are respectively provided with 101 (n+1) teeth and with 99 (or 'Ib""1) teeth, the effects obtained will be as indicated by the following equations:

99 a: 99 1 1 (a: 100) 100 +100 that is to say, although a 100 to 1 (or n to 1) reduction is obtained in both cases, a reversing effect is obtained by shifting the pin or pinion 53 toward the right from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 5.

Although I have herein described several alternative embodiments of my invention,

it will be understood not only that additional modifications thereof might easily be devised by those skilled in the art to which this case relates, but also that various features of my invention might bev independently employed, without involving the slightest departure from the spirit and scope of my invention, as the same is indicated above and in the following claim.

I claim as my invention:

In a transmission of the general character described: a drive shaft; a shaft to be driven therefrom at a different angular velocity; a primary main gear provided with means for holding the same against free rotation; a second main gear secured to one of said shafts; a composite gear member disposed eccentrically of andengaging both of said main gears; means whereby rotation of said drive shaft causes said composite gehr member to roll bn said primary gear by a, finger Whih is movable transversely member and to impart to said driven shaft, thereof thrbughout said $1012.-

through said second main gear, a velocity In testimony whereof, I have hereunto 7 of rotation different from that of said drive set my hand at Les Angeles, California, 5 shaft; said gears being confined Within a this 4th day of Januany,1925. V

housing having a slot and said mai'n gear,

being provided with means for its detention JOHN S. WATTSL 

